#travelling Archives - Exhibit Tech

Remember These Essentials for Your Next Trip

We all panic about what to pack and when to pack for a trip, whether abroad or domestically. Travelling can be stressful for anybody and when you leave it to the last minute, the rush makes everything confusing. You end up forgetting things you need to pack, even the essentials and are forced to buy them during your travel instead. We have catered a list of absolute essentials you will need for your trip that you are guaranteed to always remember!

Universal Adapters

If you heavily rely on digital media and travel abroad, you will absolutely need a universal adapter. Buying one at the airport or the country of arrival can be much more expensive and often very limited.

We recommend: Ceptics Universal Travel Adapter – 3-in-1 Worldwide Travel Adapter, Universal Plug Socket and 2 x USB, with 2.4A, International Travel Adapter (Amazon).

Moisturiser & Sunscreen

With the weather being unpredictable and varying in each country, it’s important to hydrate and protect your skin against harsh conditions. Cold and hot weather that differs from your country’s weather can affect your skin greatly.

For hot weather, we recommend: Be Bodywise Sunscreen Lotion with SPF 50 (Amazon, Nykaa and more).

For cold weather, we recommend: Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion (Amazon, your local pharmacy and stores, Nykaa and more). Combine with any SPF product.

First Aid Kit

You never know when you might get injured or sick during travel. During that occasion, preparation is key with a dedicated First Aid Kit. The kit must be portable, easy to access and have the basic needs. This is especially important for people looking to explore and the risk of injury is higher.

We recommend: Quick Heal First Aid Kit – 75 items set – with all the medicines inside (Amazon). However, First Aid Kits are very commonly found and sold anywhere so you can pick any or customise your own.

Travel Pillow

One of the fundamentals of travelling is to get a good night’s sleep to keep up the energy for all the sightseeing and exploration. It’s hard to do so if your flight, train or bus is late at night or early in the morning and the seats are usually uncomfortable. Your best companion to cure this problem is a trusty travel pillow that supports your neck well. You can usually attach this to your bag to save space instead of finding a way to stuff it inside.

We recommend: Amazon Basics Travel Neck Pillow, Unisex, Multipurpose, U-shaped (Amazon).

Portable Phone Charger

Keeping your phone charged and ready can be difficult during travel. We all feel a sense of doom without our phones, especially in a place unfamiliar to us. While the good news is that most places indoors will have a charging point, most transportation modes do not have one.

We recommend: Mi 10000mAH Li-Polymer, Micro-USB and Type C Input Port, Power Bank 3i with 18W Fast Charging (Amazon).

Reusable Water Bottle

Reducing plastic waste is a priority in the present and for the future. Bringing a reusable water bottle is recommended and even beyond environmental causes, it is more hygienic and reliable. If you have the budget for it, buying a water bottle with an in-built filter is a step higher as it would protect you from harmful bacteria.

For a bottle with a filter, we recommend: LifeStraw Go 2 Stage Tritan Water Bottle with Carbon Integrated Filter Straw for Daily use, Travel, Camping & Outdoor Activity (Amazon).

Packing Cubes

Organisation is key when packing a suitcase or a backpack. Packing cubes are bags that can easily keep your clothes separate and organised to your liking and system. These would not only save space but also save time when searching for a specific item.

We recommend: RENSARE Clothes bag, set of 3, check pattern/grey black (Ikea).

Collapsable Bag

For those who love a good shopping spree during travel, a collapsable bag is a must-have. Since not every flight will allow a second luggage or a second luggage can be highly inconvenient for solo travellers, a collapsable bag is a pocket and space-saving alternative to a suitcase. On top of that, storing this in your suitcase will not take up any space if you decide not to use it.

We recommend: Lightniing Hammerz Nylon 285 Cms Travel Duffle Bag Expandable Folding Travel Bag for Women, Lightweight Waterproof Carry Luggage Bag for Travel (Amazon).

Young woman leans out car window to feel the fresh mountain air. Original public domain image from Wikimedia Commons

These are the prime essentials to complete your trip safely and to ensure a smooth journey for you.

Bon voyage!

Travelling Eco-Friendly

I started travelling with my family when I was three. Before I knew anything about life, I knew that you could find a home, away from home. Growing up, I fantasized about getting lost in unknown places, stumbling upon secret cafés and bars, meeting complete strangers, and creating memories that will last a lifetime. I knew how significant and liberating travelling was for me, but unfortunately, I never thought about the other side of the story.

A few months ago, when I was in Italy, I was on my dream trip. In the winding streets of a quaint village on Lake Como, our Italian tour guide and I had a conversation that stayed with me. She told me how she loved a job that allowed her to interact with people from all around the world, but she was struggling to make ends meet, especially after the pandemic. Being a local and an independent service provider in the travel industry, she didn’t have the visibility and reach that many other commercial tour operators did.

Before this, I explored every place from a perspective that was obliviously mine. This conversation, as well as many others with Italian locals, opened my mind to who they were, what they go through and how tourism affected them, on a personal level.

Sustainable travelling combines two things that I deeply love: Travel and Conscious living.

When you have an awareness of the environment, people, culture, and economy of the place you are travelling to, you will have an experience that is richer and infinitely more gratifying. Even more so, you will be doing your part in minimizing the negative effects of tourism.

So, how do you go about it?

There are three aspects to sustainable travelling: social, economic, and environmental.

According to ‘The World Counts’, there are 1.4 billion tourists arriving at their destination every year, which comes to 45 arrivals every single second. With so many of us moving around the world, the impact of tourism is substantial and cannot be overlooked.

There are a few, practical ways in which you can be more considerate and responsible as you travel to every place on your bucket list.

Consider the most sustainable form of transport

To reach your destination, depending on how far it is, different transport options may be a more sustainable choice. If you are travelling in a group, sharing a car may be a sensible option, however, if you are by yourself, flying to your destination may be an ideal choice. To explore within a city, always opt for public transport rather than renting a car, for instance.

Pack light and eco-friendly

Packing what is essential and reusable will help you cut back on waste. You can pack a reusable water bottle, reusable bags and containers, for instance, to generate as little waste as possible.

Be a slow-traveller

Don’t rush through life. Savour it. By flying less often and staying longer at destinations, you will not only reduce your carbon footprint but also be able to appreciate each place more profoundly.

Eat Local

Try restaurants, cafes, and bars owned by locals. In this way, you will be supporting local businesses, all the while tasting traditional, authentic and delicious food.

Buy gifts and souvenirs from local shops

To support local artists, manufacturers and shop owners, buy gifts and souvenirs from locally-owned stores.

Choose locally-owned accommodation

Use your money to contribute to the local economy rather than foreign-owned hotels and resorts. You can read up about the accommodation beforehand to know more about who owns and runs it.

Ask questions

The most important thing is to increase your awareness and therefore your accountability to the environment and people. So, don’t be afraid of asking questions, having conversations, and learning new perspectives as you travel.

Sustainable travelling is a simple way to deeply enrich your travel experiences while creating a more conscious, harmonious and considerate world. A way of travelling that has opened my mind, and now, hopefully, yours too.

16 Offbeat Travel Getaways to Take-up 2022 in Style

The year 2021 went well, at least better than 2020. As of December, the pandemic situation was pretty much under control in India, but with the arrival of a new year, another variant (Omicron) landed here. As a result, many state governments added new COVID-19 restrictions, not allowing people to stretch their travel legs. However, the new variant turned out to be a faded rendition, and according to experts at WHO, it shall pass within a few weeks, and with that, we can hit the outdoors again. Going for a trip to popular places would be a bad move in current times, and it’s a pretty outdated move. That’s why we’ve come up with 16 off-beat travel getaways to take up 2022 in style.

Historical Places & Ruins:

Champaner & Laxmi Vilas Palace, Gujarat

The ancient city is considered one of Gujarat’s most fascinating historical attractions. The off-beat destination is as old as the 8th century, and it will hook you instantly with its heritage places, including a number of forts, mosques, monuments, tombs, arches, temples, and step-wells. The Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park located in Champaner is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that offers an authentic flavour of architecture. The famous Laxmi Vilas Palace – the Vadodara’s royal family residence is a must-visit place if you’re planning to explore around Champaner. The palace is built over 500 acres (four times the size of Buckingham Palace), and it is about 50 Km from Champaner.

Basgo, Ladakh

Basgo is a historic castle town located on the mighty Indus River in Ladakh and is famous for its Basgo Monastery and Gompas. The ancient temples and structures around Basgo are part of the UNESCO world heritage site. The monastery is a perfect example of Tibetan architecture, and the Basgo Palace is among the 100 most endangered heritage sites in the world. The once proliferated town is now wrapped in ruins, with almost zero infrastructure. The Basgo town has been featured in many Bollywood movie songs, including Satrangi Re from Dil Se and Dil Dance Maare from Tashan.

Orchha, Madhya Pradesh

The name Orchha means ‘Hidden Place’, which is enough to pay a visit to this historic town. The beautiful city of Orchha is nestled royally near the banks of the Betwa River. The historical place is built with a vision that one can find historical landmarks every time a river makes a turn. The site is far away from the reach of regular tourists, making it a more peaceful destination. The place’s main attraction is the Orchha Fort, an architectural marvel of the town built on an island on the Betwa river and Chattris, memorials to the rulers of Orchha. If you decide to visit Orchha, don’t forget to attend the light and sound show at Orchha Fort, which starts at 6:30 PM in English and at 7:45 PM in Hindi.

Shettihalli Rosary Church, Karnataka

Ruins and forgotten structures are always fascinating, especially when connected with folklore and Shettihalli Rosary Church is one of such gems. The French missionary church located in the Hassan district of Karnataka is popularly known as India’s only floating church. Interestingly, this dilapidated church remains submerged in water during monsoons, and when the water level decreases, it slowly starts appearing as a full, allowing the tourists to witness its glory. The hauntingly beautiful church was built in the 1860s in the French Gothic style of architecture, but later on, in 1960, the government deserted the area to construct the dam, and the church lost the centre of attention.

Beaches & Islands:

Maravanthe Beach, Karnataka

Maravanthe is a uniquely positioned beach offering an incredible view with the mesmerizing Arabian Sea on one side and the Souparnika river on the other side. The beach is an ideal choice to hang out with friends and family. The place is about 105 km from Mangalore, and one must catch a lovely boat ride across the Souparnika River during golden hour and watch the sunset. You can visit the nearest Padukone village, birthplace of famous badminton star Prakash Padukone and Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone during your trip to Maravanthe.

Bhogwe Beach, Maharashtra

Goa and Gokarna are the places that made the Konkan coast popular, but the coast has much more to offer than these usual places, only if you’re willing to go off-road. The secluded, loneliest and pristine Bhogwe beach is one of India’s few cleanest beaches selected for blue flag certification. The picturesque beach is situated on the shores of Sindhudurg District and is famous for being the merging point of the Karli River and the Arabian Sea. The beach is located at the base of Nivati Fort, which offers majestic views of the Bhogwe beach along with the Golden rocks and a glimpse of Tsunami island.

Dhanushkodi, Tamil Nadu

Dhanushkodi – often referred to as India’s Ghost Town, is situated on the southeastern tip of Tamil Nadu’s Pamban Island (Rameshwaram). In 1964, a monstrous cyclone turned this once-bustling trade hub into an eerie ghost town. Except for a few fishermen folks, nobody lives in Dhanushkodi, and no tourists are allowed to enter the town after 6 PM. Dhanushkodi has extreme natural conditions, and it is a bit risky to get into the water due to high waves, but the experience you’ll have while driving towards the tip, walking on the beach and exploring the ruins is out of this world.

Majuli Island, Assam

Majuli, nestled amidst the mighty Brahmaputra River, is the world’s largest freshwater island. It’s a must-visit place for every traveling enthusiast because due to climate change, in the next 20-25 years, the lush green and pollution-free island may completely disappear from the earth’s map. The isolated island is over 420 square kilometres in size and home to several tribes, mainly the Mishings. The green fields and the water bodies of Majuli island will stay in your heart for a long time, and you’ll feel blessed for the rest of your life.

The Hidden Paradise of North-East:

Bhalukpong, Arunachal Pradesh

The Seven Sisters of India offers everything you’re looking for in a serene trip, but the beautiful town of Bhalukpong has its magic. The unexplored town is located along the southern reaches of the Himalayas in the West Kameng district, and it is surrounded by the evergreen forests of the Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary. Due to limited connectivity options, Bhalukpong hasn’t been nourished as a proper tourist destination, but if you’re looking for a calm and cozy holiday destination, then the breathtaking town of Bhalukpong is the place for you.

Ziro Valley, Arunachal Pradesh

If you’re a fan of independent music in India, you probably have heard the name Ziro Valley before. The underrated town is surrounded by untouched forests, offering unmatched scenic and wildlife grandeur. Zero Valley is located 15 kilometers from Itanagar and is one of the best places to visit in North East India. The photogenic valley is famous for hosting the Ziro Music Festival, rice fields, lush bamboo forests, scenic trails lined with pine and bamboo trees. The hill hamlet provides a sound and peaceful camping experience as it is home to 300 birds and 170 butterfly species.

Sandakphu

Sandakphu is the highest peak in the queen of hills – Darjeeling, which offers an incredible panorama of the world’s highest snowline. The town is named after a poisonous wolf’s bane plant that grows naturally around the peak. Sandakphu is famous for its treks and is popularly known as Trekkers Wonderland. The place offers excellent mountaineering and adventure sports possibilities due to its location. If you’re a mountain lover, you should consider visiting this place and going on a Sandakphu Phalut trek, as it is one of the best winter treks in the Himalayas.

Mechuka

Situated in the West Siang District of Arunachal Pradesh, Mechuka, Mechukha, or Menchukha valley is a must-visit tourist destination in North-East India. The Buddhist hamlet houses several tribes, including Libo, Bokar, Ramo, and Memba Tribes. The Valley is located 29 km away from the famous McMahon Line that separates India and China. The rhythmic sound of the river Siyom, snow-capped mountains, wooden bridges with colorful Buddhist prayer flags, vast grassland with grazing horses, and dotted houses can make Mechuka a perfect off-beat destination.

The Territory of Big Cats:

Jawai, Rajasthan

Jawai Bandh (Dam) is one of the few places where you can spot a leopard in the daytime, and that’s why the place has become one of the hot favourite tourist destinations in Rajasthan. The site has plenty of natural caves for leopards, and they live peacefully here without causing any conflict with humans. The big cats have been winning hearts here with their human-friendly nature, and tribes who live here consider these big cats the guardians of their local deity. Along with leopards, you can easily spot crocodiles basking in the sun at river banks and migratory birds, making Jawai a paradise for wildlife enthusiasts.

Hemis, Ladakh

Hemis is the ideal place for people who wish to spend some time in the lap of nature and to see the globally famous, rare and endangered snow leopard. The scenic hamlet is located between the snow capped mountain ranges of Ladakh and is bounded by the ever-gorgeous Indus river and the majestic Zanskar range. The Hemis Monastery is ranked as one of the wealthiest monasteries in India, and it houses an iconic copper gilded statue of Lord Buddha along with stupas made of gold, silver, and other precious metals. The Hemis National Park boasts about 200 leopards, along with other endangered species such as Asiatic ibex, Tibetan wolf, the Eurasian brown bear and the red fox.

Sundarban, West Bengal

Inscribed as a world heritage site by UNESCO, Sundarban is the kind of place where you’ll witness the true side of nature, a tale of survival. The place lies on the delta of three rivers, Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna. The mangrove forest is home to Royal Bengal Tigers. Once you’re on the boat to spot the Bengal Tiger, you’ll not feel less than you’re a guy from an episode of the national geographic channel. Besides Bengal Tiger, it is home to various wildlife species, including red-faced rhesus monkey, saltwater crocodile, spotted deer, crested serpent eagle, oriental honey buzzard, and Goshawk.

Nagarhole National Park, Karnataka

The rare species always attract the crowd, and if you’re a staunch wildlife enthusiast, especially the one who’s into felines, then you must have heard the name “Saaya.” The word Saya means Shadow, and it is the name of the elusive male black panther that wildlife enthusiasts and tourists often spot in the southern part of the Nagarhole National Park. The majestic park is quite picturesque with hills, valleys, streams and Kabini, a part of the park, has become famous in recent years for the sighting of a real-life Bagheera. The black panther is exceptionally confident, and it will hypnotise you with his appearance.

How Solo Travel Makes You Mentally Resilient?

When you travel with friends, you spend most of the time either waiting for them to get ready or deciding where to go first! And when you get bored with such lousy holidays, the thought of solo travelling hits your mind. But did you follow through with it? If you answered yes, you’re already a part of the solo travel fraternity, but if you answered no, you need a hit.

Travelling solo is one of the most pleasant experiences you can have. It helps you build confidence, self-love, and mental health, along with the freedom to take all the shots. People usually turn their back on solo trips due to a fear of loneliness, but solo travelling doesn’t necessarily mean being alone, and you never know who’ll come across your path?

The Benefits of Solo Backpacking

People will not believe in what you’re trying to convince them unless they know the beneficial part of the narrative. We work hard to fulfil our needs, but along with our needs, we need to focus on ways to reclaim our mental health and much-needed headspace. Solo backpacking provides you with both of these essential things, which helps you clear your mind.

It makes you focus on yourself.

Sometimes being selfish is not a bad approach, especially when planning a solo trip. Travelling with others means you have to stick to the itinerary, but what if you want to spend 6-hours in a single museum, staring at the artefacts or start your trek when light first appears in the sky? To experience such things, you have to be selfish and go on a solo trip.

When you travel solo, you unconsciously start thinking about yourself, which gives you time to reflect on your life, to think about your actual likes/dislikes and where you want to go in the future. Solo trips don’t promise to solve your problems, but it certainly helps you get ready to face anything as it makes you confident, strong, smart and self-reliant.

It helps you in making new connections.

Being a solo traveller, I’ve met marvelous people whilst travelling alone, be it fellow travellers or locals. When you travel alone, you are more likely to reach out to people you meet on the road and interact with them, which helps you make new connections. Sometimes, it leads to building meaningful relationships, even if they’re locals.

A conversation over a cup of tea or at a breakfast joint can broaden your knowledge about many things, such as trying different food, understanding the local language, different cultures, art and indulging yourself in those experiences you could not do while travelling in a flock. Also, in my experience, it is easy to strike up friendships on the road.

It reduces your stress levels.

Everybody is dealing with some stress, which you can’t speak out in front of people. It is a silent killer, living inside your body like a parasite and feeding on your health. In such cases, travelling solo is one of the best antidotes to relieve your senses. Breaking free from the group, deadlines, and chaos of mundane routine will help you reduce the stress and come back strong.

Travelling solo boosts your confidence and releases happy hormones in your body, taking your mind off stressful thoughts. Also, taking time off from work makes you feel calm and composed as it relieves the tension and stress of your work life. Once the stress is gone, you’ll have a more productive and focused work life.

It improves your mental health.

I travel by myself most of the time. When I went on my first solo trip, it initially seemed challenging, but soon I realized how the solo trip helped me enhance my mental health, and since then, I haven’t turned my back on it. Backpacking solo and living someplace where your heart belongs or you feel excited about can help you toughen up mentally and emotionally.

When you travel solo, there’s no one to judge you, making you try your hands on the wildest things. You suddenly become more adventurous and start attempting more unexpected things, which helps reset your body and mind. Travelling solo brings mental peace, which benefits you from quickly getting over stressful situations and teaches you to handle such situations calmly.

It increases your creativity.

Solo travel is particularly constructive for people who’re dealing with creative blocks. It helps people to boost their creativity and come up with diverse ideas. Travelling solo is beneficial for improving brain function as well as creativity, and kicking yourself out of your comfort zone is an excellent way to embrace your artistic imagination.

New colours, patterns, sounds, food and immersing yourself in the local environment will help you enhance your creativity. When you explore new places and experience other cultures, it opens your mind and activates positive energies. So, once you’re home, you can channel the energy from your adventure to reactivate your creative subconscious.

It helps you to discover the real you.

People often ask me why do you travel alone, don’t you have any friends? I do have friends, and I travel with them, but backpacking solo has a special place in my life. Over the years, it has helped me discover the real me, and the one-on-one time is beyond priceless, you can’t have that when you travel in a group.

When you travel alone, from booking a hotel room to deciding what to eat, you regulate everything, which helps you learn more about yourself than you ever imagined. Solo travelling acts like therapy and provides you with a perfect time for deep introspection, which assists you in increasing your mental resilience and discovering the real you.

It improves your adaptability.

“Some beautiful paths can’t be discovered without getting lost”, and to discover such paths, you must have to be adaptable. The mundane routine forces you to stay within the comfort box, weakening your adaptability skills. In contrast, you understand your strengths, weaknesses, and adaptability skills when you go on solo trips.

Travelling alone comes with greater responsibility and gives you greater flexibility. While travelling solo, you learn things you couldn’t learn anywhere else, and it helps you become more flexible and responsible. Also, when you travel without a plan, it gives you incredible flexibility and can lead you to exciting and unplanned adventures.

It helps you grow as an individual.

Don’t travel ‘for the gram’; travel to explore the inner you. Solo travelling is best for personal growth, as it lets you spend a lot of time with yourself, which allows you to figure yourself out and find peace within yourself. We often find it difficult to approach strangers, but when you’re on your own, you have no other choice than to ask strangers.

Travelling solo allows room for meaningful connections with strangers, which ultimately makes you humble and sharpens your troubleshooting skills. Sometimes you meet people and hear fascinating stories that help you to inspire in life. Also, when you venture out alone, you’ll bond deeper with yourself and come back as a different person.

It teaches you that setbacks are a part of life.

Whenever something terrible happens in our lives, we ask ourselves, “why is it happening to me?” and hold on to the point about what happened, which leads us to frustration. We can not alter life events, but we can always learn how to deal with the issues. Travelling solo helps you deal better with setbacks because we come across many while travelling alone.

Setbacks that arrive while you’re travelling solo add extra spice to your adventures and fill your pocket with experiences. It teaches you to go with the flow and not get plastered with the past life. So, if you’re wondering how to deal with setbacks, go on a solo trip, and you’ll come back as a solid person who knows how to stay patient and deal with the problems.

Travelling alone is often considered a risky venture, but the world is not what the media shows on TV. It still has great people with whom you can become friends in no time and even if you face some problems, they’re only going to help you in life. So, what are you waiting for? Pack your bags and take a solo trip to experience more by yourself.